Clifftop Retaining

Project Detail

Most people who’ve owned a cliff-top section will tell you it can be a double-edged sword: panoramic views offset by the constant possibility of erosion.

The owners of this Waipu Cove section wanted to build as close to the view as possible so they called PoleSpecs to ensure a solid foundation for their investment. Sam Cumming from PoleSpecs says the cliff needed to be pinned. “We had to drill 17 11-metre deep holes, which we lined with steel cages and then poured concrete into. We used pendulum excavator mounters for easy site access to drill the holes,” he said.

One of the challenges the PoleSpecs team faced was boulders in the cliff. “While the engineers had done a geological report, the reports are never foolproof and we did encounter several large rocks, as well as the bedrock at a depth of about 8m. Having the right equipment ensured a successful outcome,” says Sam.